Box lid support



Oct. 23, 1951 A. H. ElcHHoLz ET A1.

BOX LID SUPPORT Filed May 16, 1949 Patented Oct. 23, 1951 BOX Lm SUPPORT Arthur H. Eichholz and Henry Samuelson, Ch-

cago, Ill., assignors to Central Stamping and Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a' corporation of Illinois Application April 16, 1949, Serial No. 87,938

The invention relates to an improvement in containers and closures therefor.

One purpose is to provide an improved container adaptable for use as a work box or kit or tool box.

Another purpose is to provide a container with improved means for maintaining tools or other material within its lid and against unintended movement from the lid when the lid is closed.-

Another purpose is to provide a container of the type described in which unitary means are provided for holding material within the lid when the lid is closed, and for holding the lid in generally horizontal position when the lid is opened.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

We illustrate the invention more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an end view with the lid open and s claims. (ol. 20s-16) with parts broken away and parts in vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a plan View illustratingthe container with the lid in open position; and

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical transverse section illustrating the parts with the lid in closed poeinen.

as including a top wall 4 and a circumferential side wall 5. The closure B may be secured to the box A by any suitable means. We illustrate, for example, a piano type hinge 6. The parts are so proportioned that when the closure B is in the closed position in which is is shown in Fig. 3 the edges of the closure side wall 5 surround the top portionA 3 of the side and end walls of the box A and abut against the ledge or offset 2.

A primary purpose of our invention is to provide ready means for holding tools or other equipment or material in place within a lid of a work or kit box, so that they will remain in place when the closure is in the closed position of Fig. 3, but will readily be available for use when the closure is in the open position of Figs. 1 and 2. However, if it happens that the box A is partly or substantially empty, with the closure= 2 B loaded with heavy tools or material, the there is the risk that the weight within the closure or lid B may tilt the box A until the lid. strikes the supporting surface. We prevent this by employing as a securing means for the tools yor equipment in the lid or closure a member which is also adapted to serve as a ground engaging support for the open lid. I0 generally indicates a locking bar or member which is provided with a composite or double center hinge which includes the hinge member II xed to the inner surface of the side wall 5 of the closure and the intermediate link I2 which is pivoted as at I 3 to the xed hinge member I I and is pivoted as at I4 to the securing member or bar I0. The opposite end of the bar ID is shown as having an upturned flange I5 which, when the bar is in the normal closed position of Figs. 1 and 2, terminates at its upper edge even with or below the plane of the upper edge of the side wall 5 of the closure. v v y The member I D may, if desired, be provided with one ory more positioning members or pads I6. If the bar I0 is made as a channel, as shown in Figs. l and 2, the members I6 enter the recess of thechannel and are cemented into place.

*They may,lfor example, be of sponge rubber or some other equivalent material land are formed or adaptedto engage the tools or other equipment I1 diagrammatically indicated .in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be understood that if desired the entire lower surface of the member I0 may be padded or` the member IIJ may be formed to conform to or grip and thus positively position what- 'ever tools `or equipment are to be positioned within the closure B. Assume that the parts are in position, as shown in Fig. 1, with the member I0 in the 'full line or closing position. When the closure B is moved to the fully closed position in which it is shown in Fig. 3, the free end of the member I0 rests upon the edge portion 3 of the side and end walls of the container A. W'hen the lid is in the closed position of Fig. 3, it is impossible for the member I0 to move from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3, in which positionit snugly holds whatever tools or equipment or materials have been positioned in the lid. As a matter of fact, during the closing movement, as soon as the closure B has been suiiiciently moved from its horizontal position of Fig. 1 to permit gravity to urge the tools'I'l against the bar IU, it is already too late for the bar I0 to escape from the closed position. Ii' it swings slightly about its pivot or pivots by gravity, it is immediately pushed back into position by engagement With the portions 2, 3 of that part of the side Wall l, which is opposite to the hinge 6. As a matter of fact, any possibility of movement is so slight as to be negligible. Thus, heavy tools, kits or other equipment are firmly held withinthe'lid yor-closure B. When the hasp or closure 20 is closed .and the lid is lifted by its handle 2|, there is complete freedom from any risk of undesired or unintended escape of the` engaging enlargement and the member 1:0 a firm' support for the edge of the cover or closure B fopposite l.to the hinge `6. Thus, .no matter what :the Vrelative Weight of the load of articles or material in the container A and the lid B maybe, Vthe Weight of thelid cannot tilt the container A.

,Even if .the lid is entirely full of heavy equipment Vv,and the container iscompletely empty, the parts .will stay the yposition shown in Fig. 1, with the .equipment within the closure B fully accessible .and ythe closureor .lid in the horizontal position.

It will be realized that while We have described and claimed a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made `in the Vsize, shape, number and dispositionof parts. If desired, we may employ more than one of the locking members L0. .-It will also be understood Athat We may employ any suitable means for pre- `venting unintended lateral movement of tools or equipment, such means being shaped, if desired, for-:specific-tools or kits. We illustrate such centering 4meansat 30 in Fig..2, When the tools or given material are centered by such-:centering means, then the locking lmember .I .cooperates `rwith such centering or positioning means in holding the tools or kit or material in xed position. Il desired, .the locking member may befshaped to conform to the kit or tools. It will be realized,

fthereiore, `that we Wish onrdescription and drawings 4to Abe taken as 4in a broad sense illustrative ,or diagrammatic, rather than yas limiting us to pur speeinc disclosure herein. Y

We claim: Y

. i..ln combination .in a container including a v.body portion having side and .bottomvwalls Yand ar-coverimember hingedly connected to one of said side Walls along .one .edge Y.and movable about the hinge axis through substantially 180 from .a substantially-horizontal closed position to .a

substantially horizontal open position, said cover member being provided with an article-receiving cavity in open communication with the body portion of the container when the cover is closed, the weight of said cover member when open and unsupported tending to tilt the body portion of rthe container out of upright position; support means movably attached to the 'inside of the cover member near one edge thereof and .sWingable, when the cover is open, through substantially 270 from a position transverse of the cover and in a plane substantially parallel to :that ofthe-cover, toa position substantially per- :pendicular to the plane of the cover and depending therefrom,-said support member when in said first-mentioned Vposition being adapted to en- :gage articles deposited within the cavity in the cover to support said articles from beneath when the cover is closed and thus retain the articles in place within the cover, said support means being .dimensioned 'in length to engage, when in said second-mentioned positionfthe surface on which the container is supported to support the cover -member in a substantially horizontal open position, and thereby overcome the tendency .of the cover when open to overturn the body portion :of the container.

12. lThe .structure of `claim 1 characterized in that the .support means includes article engaging holding and positioning members of yieldiable, compressible material.

3. The structure of claim 1 lcharacterized 'by and ,including a surrounding side wall on the cover, ,and means Within the side wall for 'limiting lateral movement of articles in said cover, Vthe support means being adapted, when in closed position, to hold such articles against'unintended downward `movement when the cover is in closed position.

ARTHUR H. EICHHOLZ. HElNR-Y fSAMUELSON.

REFERENCES CITED The `following references 'are of record inthe France Mar. 24, 1924 

